2011 April 08

Book Review: Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb by George Rabasa

Title: Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb
Author: George Rabasa
Publisher: Unbridled Books
Publication Date: April 5, 2011
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-1609530358
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

No other obsession strikes as hard as the love that hits a teenaged boy — especially if he’s the sort of kid who is no saner than he wants to be. From the moment Adam Webb sees Francine Haggard—in the van that is supposed to return them to the Institute Loiseaux—the two young mental patients are inextricably connected. Adam will never let this girl go.

From hiding her in his bedroom to spiriting her away to Minnesota’s north woods, “Miss Entropia” becomes the focus of Adam’s every thought and of everything he does. He believes her to be a goddess, his own goddess.

But the pyromaniacal Miss Entropia will be neither worshiped nor owned. And so Adam’s possessiveness is destined to push her to the breaking point.
Theirs is an incendiary love story, an unbalanced Romeo and Juliet, that spins and arcs its way strangely toward tragedy.

My Review:

I have struggled with my review of the brilliant, lyrical, and beautiful book entitled Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb for fear my review would become a rambling, gushing mess. I cannot wait any longer to share my thoughts on this book, so please keep in mind I did warn it may be a rambling mess of gushing. Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb by George Rabasa is narrated over several years by Adam Webb, a frequent client at the Institute Loiseaux, ‘Tute for short, an institution for the wealthy, mentally ill, or as Adam refers to the clientele, “cleverly completed”. While the reader knows the outcome before Adam’s story is ever told, it is still a surprise as the reader becomes so intertwined with Adam’s life. Adam’s story is both hilarious and heart-breaking, which makes this book such a compelling book to read. Adam is a kid I would have liked to meet. On his fourth trip back to the ‘Tute, he meets Francine Haggard, or as she prefers, Miss Entropia, or Pia for short. Adam feels an immediate attraction to this girl who is the living embodiment of the Hindu Goddess Kali. Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb exposes the rawest of human emotion, the need for love and acceptance, and exposes the deepest and darkest places where illness can hide. Adam’s infatuation with Pia goes far and beyond obsessive as he worships her. He speaks of his family, the faculty of the ‘Tute, and naturally, of Pia. Each character is vividly detailed and portrayed so the reader will have no difficulty visualising each individual. I was so impressed with Rabasa’s writing I did not want the book to end and that is the mark of an excellent writer. I look forward to reading more books by George Rabasa and I highly recommend Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb to every reader.

About the Author:

George Rabasa’s most recent book, The Wonder Singer, was published by Unbridled Books in 2008. A collection of short stories, Glass Houses, received The Writer’s Voice Capricorn Award for Excellence in Fiction and the Minnesota Book Award for Short Stories. His novel, Floating Kingdom received the Minnesota Book Award for Fiction. Another novel, The Cleansing, was named a Book Sense Notable. His short fiction has appeared in various literary magazines, such as Story Quarterly, Glimmer Train, The MacGuffin, South Carolina Quarterly, Hayden’s Ferry, American Literary Review, and in several anthologies. Rabasa was born in Maine, raised in Mexico, and now lives in Minnesota.

To learn more about George Rabasa or his books please visit his website.

I received a complimentary ARC Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb by George Rabasa from Unbridled Books. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Book Review: Song of the Silk Road by Mingmei Yip

Title: Song of the Silk Road
Author: Mingmei Yip
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: April 1, 2011
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-0758241825
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

In this richly imaginative novel, Mingmei Yip—author of Peach Blossom Pavilion and Petals From the Sky—follows one woman’s daunting journey along China’s fabled Silk Road.

As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Lily Lin was captivated by photographs of the desert—its long, lonely vistas and shifting sand dunes. Now living in New York, Lily is struggling to finish her graduate degree when she receives an astonishing offer. An aunt she never knew existed will pay Lily a huge sum to travel across China’s desolate Taklamakan Desert—and carry out a series of tasks along the way.

Intrigued, Lily accepts. Her assignments range from the dangerous to the bizarre. Lily must seduce a monk. She must scrape a piece of clay from the famous Terracotta Warriors, and climb the Mountains of Heaven to gather a rare herb. At Xian, her first stop, Lily meets Alex, a young American with whom she forms a powerful connection. And soon, she faces revelations that will redefine her past, her destiny, and the shocking truth behind her aunt’s motivations…

Powerful and eloquent, Song of the Silk Road is a captivating story of self-discovery, resonant with the mysteries of its haunting, exotic landscape.

My Review:

Song of the Silk Road by Mingmei Yip is about 29-year-old Lily Lin, whose parents passed away and who is struggling in New York to make ends meet when she learns from the law office of Mills and Man that she has been left three million dollars by Mindi Madison, an aunt from her mother’s side. Naturally, Lily is concerned as she has never heard of an aunt and it seems too good to be true. Lily decides to follow the money and follows the rather bizarre, quirky and at times utterly perverse demands Mindi has left for Lily to follow. Once Lily is in Beijing she meets with Lo and Wang Associates for her final instructions regarding retracing her aunt’s steps along the Silk Road. Lily has eight months to complete the odd requests and then she shall be able to meet with her aunt, yes she is alive, and obtain the money. Let me begin by saying I really did not enjoy reading Song of the Silk Road and many of the reasons would contain too many book spoilers. I think romance fans may enjoy this book, but I do not enjoy reading romance novels, and so the affairs and other events did not endear the book to me. Mingwei Yip does write her characters well, and while I may not have liked many of them, they are very realistic and I truly enjoyed exploring the various locations along the Silk Road with Lily. Yip brings the sights, sounds and smells of China to life for the reader and I truly enjoyed these sections of the book. While the plot was an intriguing one, it fell flat for me and left me questioning too much of the story. Song of the Silk Road may be intriguing to readers who enjoy a novel with traveling, romance, mystery, and more romance. I think I may have found more enjoyment if I had actually discussed this book with others, so I would recommend it as a discussion group pick. Even though Song of the Silk Road did not work for me, I am interested in reading Yip’s other books.

About the Author:

Mingmei Yip was born in China, received her Ph.D. from the University of Paris, Sorbonne, and held faculty appointments at the Chinese University and Baptist University in Hong Kong. She’s published five books in Chinese, written several columns for seven major Hong Kong newspapers, and has appeared on over forty TV and radio programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, and the U.S. She immigrated to the United States in 1992, where she now lives in New York City.

I received a complimentary ARC of Song of the Silk Road by Mingmei Yip from Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. to offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.